diff --git a/pkg/provider/file/file.go b/pkg/provider/file/file.go
index f6a48b613..7dc49fd7d 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/file/file.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/file/file.go
@@ -191,6 +191,10 @@ func (p *Provider) loadFileConfig(ctx context.Context, filename string, parseTem
 		// TLS stores
 		if len(configuration.TLS.Stores) > 0 {
 			for name, store := range configuration.TLS.Stores {
+				if store.DefaultCertificate == nil {
+					continue
+				}
+
 				content, err := store.DefaultCertificate.CertFile.Read()
 				if err != nil {
 					log.FromContext(ctx).Error(err)
diff --git a/pkg/provider/file/file_test.go b/pkg/provider/file/file_test.go
index 23d820891..76fb49282 100644
--- a/pkg/provider/file/file_test.go
+++ b/pkg/provider/file/file_test.go
@@ -262,6 +262,13 @@ func getTestCases() []ProvideTestCase {
 			expectedNumRouter:  20,
 			expectedNumService: 20,
 		},
+		{
+			desc:               "simple file with empty store yaml",
+			filePath:           "./fixtures/yaml/simple_empty_store.yml",
+			expectedNumRouter:  0,
+			expectedNumService: 0,
+			expectedNumTLSConf: 0,
+		},
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/provider/file/fixtures/yaml/simple_empty_store.yml b/pkg/provider/file/fixtures/yaml/simple_empty_store.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b9c8e3242
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/provider/file/fixtures/yaml/simple_empty_store.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+tls:
+  stores:
+    default: {}